Teacher Discourse as Motivational Architecture: How ESL Classroom Interaction Shapes Learner Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness

Abstract

While motivation and engagement are recognised as crucial factors in second language classrooms, the specific mechanisms by which classroom discourse mediates the link between instructional practices, motivation and engagement remain under-explored. This study examined the role of ESL teacher discourse as a motivational context. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Self-System Model of Motivational Development, the research investigated how teacher discourse practices shape learners’ motivational experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness during classroom interaction. Data was collected through classroom observation and teacher interviews, and analysed through a combination of discourse analysis of teacher-student interaction and thematic analysis of interview data. The findings reveal that the use of open questioning, choice, and personal relevance were more effective in supporting learner autonomy. Learner competence was enhanced through explicit goal setting strategies, structured guidance, affective feedback, and normalisation of error. Affective feedback and normalisation of error were also effective in supporting learners’ emotional and relatedness feelings, showing how motivational support is provided at both cognitive and affective levels of discourse. However, the study also discovered underlying tensions between teachers’ autonomy practices and controlling discourse, which were intensified by institutional pressures related to exams. These pressures conduced towards exam-oriented, performance-based teaching practices which constrained learners’ motivational experiences. Based on these findings, the study suggests implications for teacher development programmes, where reflective classroom discourse analysis raises interactional awareness regarding the motivational implications of teacher discourse practices in everyday classroom interaction.